Publication:	Groove		Category:	Entertainment
Pub. Date:	9/4/09		Written By:	Transporter
Pub. Page:	7		Created:	1:48:37 AM on 9/6/09

By: Michelle Springer

“Pearl was dead. The unnaturally pale soles of her feet protruded from the blue bed sheet. She must surely be dead. That seemed the only logical explanation for her lack of action.” – Melanie Springer, Pearl

THAT THE OPENING WORDS are steeped in intrigue is reason enough. That the language and texture of the prose is funny, clever and engaging add, even more reasons. 

But because the story is set within the Barbadian landscape, with the experience and dialogue of characters clearly reflecting the nuances of local folk tradition any Bajan could recognise, Melanie Springer’s debut novel, Pearl, is a riveting page-turner. And if that isn’t enough, it overflows with the mysticism of obeah.

While the pages portray the good stuff that fiction is made of, the journey from idea to publication was anything but a fairy tale. The story behind the story, however, paints another picture.

Last Sunday for Pearl’s launch at the Barbados Museum & Historical, Melanie surely made that clear in her address to specially invited guests. The journey took 13 years, she laughed sheepishly.

“It started for me when I left film school in Cuba in 1996. I said I wanted to do something really novel and creative that people could enjoy and that does justice to my country and represents the Caribbean,” the visual artist and film maker explained.

Having gone through the extensive film library in Cuba and realising that there were no films from Bim under the letter “B” sparked the genesis of Pearl. The long-term aim was to get it to the big screen.

“The writing of the novel started out as an attempt to work towards a feature film and put something under the letter ‘B’,” she smiled, adding she was halfway there.

Drama and dance interpretations of key sections of the novel brought the words from the page to the stage, to the delight of invitees.

Melanie also presented copies of the novel to Minister of Family, Youth and Sport Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, the Cave Hill Main Library and the library at Barbados Community College. Pianist Andre Daniel provided a musical interlude. (MS)